


Red Ochre

by convallaria_majalis



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: @JOHN JACKSON MILLER MEET ME IN THE PIT, Cute, F/M, Smut, THEY DESERVED A PROPER ROMANCE, What-If, annileen gets what we all want, bed sharing, these two are shy dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 04:03:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7961692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/convallaria_majalis/pseuds/convallaria_majalis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tea, a sandstorm, fumbling: Annileen stays over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Ochre

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AverageBunny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AverageBunny/gifts).



> _Kenobi_ was an absolutely fantastic read - I've been itching to write something ever since I finished it. Finally this came to mind, and I swear, these characters and this relationship write themselves.
> 
> Huge hat tip to [this Annileen fancast](http://likesummerrainn.tumblr.com/post/145992830958/kenobi-fan-cast-series-rosario-dawson-as-annileen), which I have been unable to get out of my head since I saw it.
> 
> And a little [fanart](http://imgur.com/a/EGOmc) I made to go with that casting!

"Will you be able to reach the Claim by nightfall?" Ben asks.  
  
"I think so. As long as--" Annileen turns to look behind him. "Oh, no," she says.  
  
Ben looks. There's a massive red cloud frozen on the horizon, like a mountain that wasn't there before.  
  
"What is it?" Ben asks.  
  
"A sandstorm." Annileen pulls at Rooh's reins. "Help me get her inside."  
  
"But it's not moving," Ben objects.  
  
"Trust me, it is. I really don’t want to be out when it hits, and neither does she.”  
  
"I see. Do you need a place to stay?”  
  
Annileen judges the cloud. “That would be good - I’m not sure I can make it back.” She turns to him. “Do you have room?”  
  
He nods. "We’ll make do."  
  
Once Rooh's in the shed with the door shuttered, Annileen heads for the entrance to the hut, grabbing a large rectangular piece of scrap from the yard.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ben calls.  
  
"You're gonna want a real door for this place." She takes it inside; Ben follows. Annileen holds the scrap against the doorway, then casts her eyes about the spare hut for something to put in front of it. "That tall chest," she says. "Can you move it over here?"  
  
"I think so." He puts his shoulder against it and its corners leave tracks on the packed dirt floor. Annileen guides the chest against the doorframe, pushing it tight.  
  
"There. Now we won't be breathing sand."  
  
Ben nods. "Thank you." There's a pause. "Do you get many of these?"  
  
"Sandstorms? Four or five a year." Annileen dusts off her hands. "They're not so bad once you know how to handle them."  
  
There's another pause.  
  
Then Ben visibly startles. "Where are my manners? Let me get you something to drink. Tea? Water?"  
  
Annileen smiles. "Tea's good, thank you."  
  
He gestures to a low table on the floor. "Please, pull up a cushion. I'm sorry, I wasn't planning for guests."  
  
"Don't worry about it," she says. "I'm sorry to impose."  
  
Ben smiles warmly. "Please, don't be." He turns back to the tiny stove and the kettle. "Perhaps I should have more guests out here. It livens the place up."  
  
"It's a nice place," Annileen says. Ben looks around--at the bare floors, the undecorated walls, the bare minimum of supplies stocking the shelves--and chuckles softly. Annileen shakes her head. "I meant it. It's just right for you."  
  
"I suppose it is." At that moment, the water boils, and soon he sits down across from her.  
  
"Thank you," Annileen says, accepting the steaming mug. She notices he's poured his into a bowl, but doesn't comment. "Cheers," she says, raising the tea.  
  
They chat about various things. Annileen tells him the latest silly stories from the shop's regulars and watches his blue eyes light up with laughter, until she's interrupted by the rattle of the makeshift door.  
  
"Oh," says Annileen. "Here it comes."  
  
Then the hut is filled with the sound of overpowering wind and millions of tiny collisions.  
  
"It sounds almost like rain," Ben says, looking up.  
  
"Rain," she murmurs. "Tell me about that. I've never seen it."  
  
"It's beautiful," he replies. "But my favorite part is the way it makes the earth smell. Fresh and clean. Like the dawns here, but more so."  
  
Annileen swirls the tea in her mug. "I'd love to see it someday." Then she smiles slightly. "But that'll never happen."  
  
"You never know. Things often work out the way you least expect."  
  
Annileen nods over the rim of her mug.  
  
“You, for example,” Ben continues.  
  
She arches an eyebrow at him. “Me?”  
  
“Yes, well,” he says, and she could swear she sees a blush rise to his cheeks, “I never thought I would meet someone as wonderful as you, let alone have you spend the night.”  
  
Annileen smiles into her tea, lost for words.  
  
They stay up, chatting and laughing, for hours. It's a nice evening, despite the storm and Ben's characteristic evasiveness about his past; Annileen makes up for it by telling him funny stories about her family and the place she grew up. Seeing him smile warms her to the bone.  
  
The only light in the room comes from the system Ben uses to grow vegetables; it warms the place with its yellow glow. The whispering of the sandstorm outside and the calm coziness of the room rest like a blanket over them both.  
  
Then Ben yawns. "It's late. I'm terribly sorry--I only have the one mattress. I can sleep elsewhere if you prefer."  
  
"Oh," says Annileen. "No, that's--that's quite all right."  
  
"Excellent. Extra blankets are over there," he points. "Please, take the pillow." He sits on the edge of the bed and pulls off his boots; Annileen scoots out of hers as well.  
  
Ben climbs into bed, resting his hands behind his head, and Annileen slides in next to him. She winks, and before Ben knows what's happening, she's leaning down and kissing him and he has no idea what to do.  
  
He turns his head. "Annileen, wait." She can hear a quaver in his voice.  
  
Annileen's face turns crimson and she hurriedly pulls away. "Oh," she starts. "I thought you wanted to--oh, this is embarrassing."  
  
"I'm sorry," Ben says quietly. "I... can't."  
  
"Can't?" Her voice is gentle.  
  
He nods, slowly, then shakes his head. "You're very kind, Annileen. And beautiful. I just--I'm sorry."  
  
"It's all right," she says. "Let's just... forget that happened. And--thank you. I'm glad you think so." She lies down, her back to him.  
  
Annileen nestles her head into the pillow, catching the same scent there that she noticed in their too-brief kiss. She sighs, though not unhappily.  
  
Ben looks up at the ceiling. A moment passes before Annileen's voice floats over from the other side of the mattress.  
  
"You really are remarkable, you know. You show up and within a month you've saved us all ten times over."  
  
"I'm not so sure," he replies. "Trouble seems to find me. You might be better off without."  
  
Annileen rolls back over, a disbelieving look on her face. "Are you kidding? Trouble finds everyone on this cursed planet. We deal with it the best we can, but you do it better than most. We're lucky to have you."  
  
He shrugs. "I've had experience."  
  
She props herself up on one elbow, choosing to leave that remark alone. "The sarlacc, Ben. If you hadn't been there that day..." She shivers and closes her eyes. Instinctively, Ben puts out a hand, covering hers where it rests on the mattress.  
  
They stay there, neither one quite ready to pull away. Annileen opens her eyes to find Ben gazing at her lips, and her pulse quickens.  
  
He lifts her hand, presses his mouth to her skin. "Why don't we try that again?" he asks.  
  
Now it's Annileen's turn to hesitate. "But you said--"  
  
He runs his thumb over the back of her hand. "Perhaps I was a little hasty earlier."  
  
"Oh," Annileen says, blushing. "Well--All right."  
  
They lean in close to each other, cautious at first, heat suddenly rising between them. Taking her time now, Annileen notices everything. The gentle warmth of Ben's lips; the scratch of his beard, familiar and new at the same time; the way he inhales sharply and then moves to kiss her harder. Part of her can't believe this is really happening, but she figures... as long as it is, why question it?  
  
After a time, Ben pulls back. "Was that all right?" he asks, his eyes sincere.  
  
"Don't worry, Ben," she laughs. "You're a very good kisser."  
  
"Is that so?" he murmurs, smiling against her lips.  
  
"Mmmm." Annileen goes for his belt. "Kiss me some more."  
  
Nimbly, she parts the layers of his tunics, and he shrugs out of them. She pulls back for a better look.  
  
"Oh, wow." Annileen gazes at him. "And I thought you were handsome with all that _on_."  
  
Ben smiles and runs a hand through his sandy hair. "Thanks," he says, and somehow it's incredibly disarming. She leans in to kiss him again, her palm skimming over his chest.  
  
He puts his hand over hers and presses it into his warm, freckled skin. Annileen sighs and deepens the kiss, sliding her thumb behind his ear to pull him closer. Ben's tongue moves teasingly over her lower lip, and she can't help but let out a small moan.  
  
Ben smiles at that and reaches for Annileen's buttons, gradually undoing them to reveal a glimpse of the soft brown skin underneath. He kisses the hollow of her neck, then a little lower, before easing her suspenders off her shoulders. The shirt quickly follows, and Ben lets a hand wander over her, fingers tracing the shape of her breast, her waist, her thigh. He leans his head in close to her neck.  
  
“Annileen,” he murmurs. "You are more lovely than I could have imagined."  
  
She's about to reply, but the feeling of Ben's lips and tongue on her earlobe makes her forget what she was going to say, and she simply gasps instead.  
  
He straightens up, his eyes heavy-lidded, and smiles, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Suddenly breathless, Annileen pulls the tie from her braid and shakes her hair out. It whispers over her shoulders, and Ben reaches out, threading his fingers through the dark waterfall. He closes his eyes, a deeply calm expression on his face.  
  
Annileen stares - she couldn't look away even if she wanted to. Then he pitches forward, as if he's falling, and their lips meet again. She feels his hands cradling her head, and then he lets out a soft moan that makes Annileen's heart turn over.  
  
She climbs into his lap, still kissing him, her hands roving over his shoulders and back. Ben reels. Annileen's arms, strong from lifting boxes and wrangling dewbacks, seem to be the only thing holding him in place.  
  
The nights on Tatooine are cold, and the chill is beginning to creep in with the wind, but they don't seem to notice. Annileen plucks at the coarse-woven fabric of Ben's leggings. "I think it's time for these to come off," she whispers in his ear.  
  
"Mm," he agrees. "On one condition."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You take yours off too."  
  
They disentangle themselves. As he straightens out, Ben's knee pops, and he shushes it, making Annileen giggle. He strips off his leggings and looks at her.  
  
"How's that?" he asks.  
  
Annileen blushes, the excitement plain on her face. Ben grins and reaches for the button of her trousers. She wriggles out of them; he helps, laughing. Immediately his fingertips move to a long, jagged scar that snakes down her thigh.  
  
"Dewback accident," she explains, and Ben kisses it where it ends near her knee. She smiles. "I don't have any feeling in the skin there."  
  
"Ah," Ben says, looking into her dark eyes and winking. "I'll have to find somewhere else, then."  
  
He shimmies onto his stomach, settling in between her legs. Annileen has to remind herself to breathe--the sight of him is almost too much. Automatically her hand moves to run through his hair, golden in the dim light. He looks up.  
  
"I _think_ I remember what I'm doing," Ben says, a mischievous look on his face. "Let me know if this feels right." Then he wraps his hands around her thighs and buries his face between her legs.  
  
Annileen sees stars.  
  
After what feels, somehow, like an age but also not nearly long enough, he leaves off. Nipping at the curve of her stomach, he traces the lightning-bright stretch marks there with his tongue.  
  
"Oh," Annileen gasps. "Ben, you tease." He murmurs an agreement, feels her fingers on his jaw and looks up, smiling, into her flushed face.  
  
"I'm gonna need you to come on up here," she says.  
  
Ben wipes his mouth on a nearby piece of clothing and obeys.  
  
Annileen gasps, feeling the full height of his body press against hers. "Is that better?" he asks, his beard tickling her ear.  
  
"Hmm," she murmurs. "I want you on your back, actually."  
  
"Oh," Ben says breathlessly. "Of course."  
  
He rolls over, pulling her on top of him, and she scrapes her teeth along the pale skin below his collarbone. He exhales deeply.  
  
"Perfect," she whispers, and straightens up, pressing her palms into the mattress.  
  
Ben looks up at her, mouth slightly open. He's completely still, although his pulse is beating so loud in his ears they can probably hear it in Mos Espa. Annileen gives him a little smirk, then finds her place.  
  
She starts slow, watching him through half-closed eyes. He moans, softly at first, then louder as she picks up the pace. The air in the room turns thick around them, the noise outside blocked out by their focus on each other.  
  
Annileen rolls her hips against Ben's, watches as his eyes flutter shut. She moans at the sight.  
  
" _Oh--_ "  
  
"Annileen," he gasps. His thumb finds her clit, presses against it in time with her, and her movements get short and desperate. He pants, his body prickling with sweat.  
  
She curls over him, rounding out her back, her hair skimming his chest. Ben moans in anticipation and she grips his upper arms tight, her legs shaking. "A--" he starts to say, but it's choked by a sudden shock of pleasure, and he bucks up into her. She gasps, pushing back hard, and that sends them both over the edge, panting and grasping at each other.  
  
Before the feeling begins to fade, Annileen bends down to Ben's chest, tastes the salt on his skin. "Annileen," he whispers breathlessly, and holds her close against him as they shudder out the waves of pleasure together.  
  
Eventually she sits up, stretching. Ben moves behind her and pushes her hair aside, tracing his lips over her shoulders. She turns her head to smile happily at him; he bumps her cheek with his nose.  
  
"Hey," she says.  
  
"Hey."  
  
He takes her hair in his hands, gently combing his fingers through it. Without really thinking about it, he begins to braid.  
  
"Mmm. That feels really good." Annileen takes a deep breath, then sighs. "I needed this more than I knew, I think."  
  
"Me too," he replies. "It's been a delight having you here, Annileen. I think I'll be having guests more often after all. From a select list, of course," he adds.  
  
Annileen laughs. "Just make sure Leelee isn't on it."  
  
"Doesn't she have a family?" Ben asks.  
  
"That only makes her twice as dangerous."  
  
"I'll be careful." Ben paws around the sheets for her hair tie. "There you are."  
  
Annileen passes the braid through her hands; it's even and smooth. "Where did you learn to braid, Ben?" she asks, impressed.  
  
"You know, I--don't remember," he says. "It seems as though I've always known how."  
  
He leans his chin on her shoulder, covering her hands with his.  
  
"Sleepy?" Annileen asks.  
  
He nods.  
  
"Come on, then," she says, pushing back against him and toppling them both over.  
  
She kisses him, then nestles her head against his chest. "Good night, Ben," she whispers.  
  
Between the sandstorm howling outside and the warmth of Ben's arms, Annileen dozes off almost instantly.  
  
He lies awake a while, thinking, until she shivers slightly, and he pulls her closer. Like a length of silk on the breeze, his cloak leaves its hook and settles soft over them both.

**Author's Note:**

> Some things I learned during the process of writing this:
> 
> -Ben is one year older than Annileen. Adorable.
> 
> -According to Wookieepedia, Satine died the year before Obi-Wan arrives on Tatooine... ouch, though I think the last few seasons of TCW stretched that timeline a bit.
> 
> -Bail's ship, aka the ship that Obi-Wan and Yoda are on at the end of RotS when they discuss where to bring the twins, is called the Sundered Heart. OUCH.
> 
> -Sandstorms really do look like they're not moving, until they're right on top of you.


End file.
